


The In Between

by HerDiamonds



Series: Ghosts of Us [3]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Family Drama, Family Feels, Fluff, I had one idea and it spiraled from there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-11
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-01-31 19:20:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12688605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HerDiamonds/pseuds/HerDiamonds
Summary: Alex finally has what she’s wanted most in her life; a child. So why does she feel so empty inside?





	1. Meeting Jamie

**Author's Note:**

> heyo! so, this is the start of “the in between” or sometimes called “limbo”. this will follow Alex’s journey from where “Past” leaves off, and will continue through until where “present” picks up.
> 
> again, this is really still the beginning.

  
  


Alex is nervous. She’s never been this nervous in her life. Not on first dates. Not on graduation days. She’s even more nervous now than the day she came out to Kara and then kissed Maggie,  _ combined _ . But she’s nervous of a kid. A five year old. 

 

Maggie’s five year old. 

 

Maggie’s five year old who no longer has a mother. 

 

Maggie’s five year old who no longer has a mother, and is supposed to just live with her now. 

 

She’s nervous.

 

She arrives at the park that the social worker told her to be at, early. They weren’t supposed to be meeting until ten, but Alex arrives at nine-thirty to scope the place out a bit. 

 

She takes a seat on the bench as she watches a jogger lap around the sidewalk around the vicinity and a young mom watching and taking pictures as her toddler clambers around the playground. The park is pretty empty at this hour on a Tuesday. 

 

She checks her watch again and it’s already pushing past ten, but she waits patiently, but nervously. She knows if either of them in this situation should be kept waiting, it’s her. 

 

It’s ten-eleven when she looks up, hearing the little voice on the sidewalk not far from her. Her breathing hitches in her throat as the girl waves to her, walking side by side with a brunette woman, looking up at the woman. “Ms. Ashley, there she is! That’s Alex.” 

 

She has to remind herself to breathe as she blinks back tears, watching as the little girl walks closer to her with a dimpled smile. 

 

She looks  _ just _ like Maggie. 

 

And it hurts, like a knife in her chest. 

 

Because Maggie is gone. And Alex gets to raise her little girl. The little girl who looks just like Maggie. 

 

“Hi Alex.” Jamie says with a friendly smile as she stands right in front of the redhead. 

 

“Hey, Jamie.” Alex smiles, standing up from the bench and crouching down to the very petite five-year-old’s level. “You’re welcome to go play. Ms. Ashley and I have some boring adult stuff to talk about. Just stay where we can see you, okay?”

 

Jamie just nods and heads off to the playground, running up to the jungle gym and entertaining herself on the activities. 

 

“I’m Ashley Smith.” The social worker introduces herself, and Alex shakes her hand. 

 

“Alex,” She pauses, “Danvers. It’s nice to meet you. Bridget Becker, the lawyer, said you were going to go over what happens from here on out, right?” Ashley nods and sits down on the bench, Alex following her lead. Ashley turns, grabbing some files out of the tote bag she was carrying with her and looks up. 

 

“With Bridget, you signed off on being Jamie’s legal guardian. In normal cases of death of a parent, most children are taken in by family members, but Detective Sawyer specifically named you in her will, and didn’t have people to call family that she would want to take care of  her daughter. So, you were named as a third-party custodian. Which, in any case is better than not having anyone. Typically, most people do know that in case of something like this happening, they will be taking in the child, but i heard that you found out just yesterday that Jamie even existed, correct?” Ashley questioned. 

 

“That’s correct, but it doesn’t change my decision. I signed papers. I’m not letting the state take her.” Alex said with fierce determination. 

 

“Well, that’s good. For right now, I’m here to go over what the legal guardianship ensues, and then tell you everything that’s going to come next in the process, alright?” She starts and Alex nods, opting to sit quietly as the woman explains. 

 

She’s filled in on the legal issues regarding the guardianship she has of Jamie now. She listens as Ashley tells her about how she now has sole rights over Jamie regarding the five-year-old’s future due to her mother passing away. She now knows that she’s solely responsible for caring for Jamie, physically, financially and emotionally. She knows that she will now need to provide Jamie a home with love, stability, food and education. She can do this. 

 

Her decision is solidified even more when the child of the discussion walks right up to the bench and sits down on the other side of Alex a noticeable gap between the two. 

 

Ashley is currently reading over a few files, making sure she’s explaining everything in order and Alex takes the moment to turn around to look at Jamie. “Tired?” She questions. 

 

“No, I just was done playing.” Jamie says, content in swinging her legs in the air as she ast quietly on the bench, staring back at Alex with a sad smile on her face. 

 

Alex doesn’t know if it’s the maternal instinct in her or the fact that this little girl is a spitting image of her ex-fiance, but she can feel the connection. She reaches out, ushering Jamie closer to her until Jamie is within arms reach and she slides Jamie up onto her lap. Jamie loops her arm around Alex’s neck and leans against the redhead as Alex turns her attention back to the social worker.

 

Ashley raises her brow as she notices Jamie’s close presence. “I really don’t discuss this in front of little ears.” the woman starts but Alex shakes her head. 

 

“It’s alright.” Alex consents. 

 

Ashley proceeds, “Now once again, when you return to National City, you’ll have a social worker placed on your case, and they will be making a few home visits just to make sure that you are providing everything necessary for Jamie. And then a judge will have to sign off on any final decision regarding the legal guardianship, because right now you’ve basically ‘applied’ for it and it needs to still be approved.” Ashley finalizes. “But, for now, Jamie has no issue with taking to you, so she’s yours. There’s a booster seat in the van, but I’d advise you to get her a five-point harness style car seat still, seeing as she’s very tiny for her age, and then whenever you planned on returning home she’s free to go with you. I’m going to be transferring all these documents to someone over in National City for you to get this process rolling as fast as possible and then she will officially be in your guardianship.” Ashley finishes up. Alex smiles, squeezing Jamie to her just a tiny bit tighter. 

 

“Thank you so much, for everything.” Alex says, automatically standing up, propping Jamie on her hip. 

 

Alex follows Ashley to the parking lot and sets Jamie down after a minute, retrieving the booster seat Ashley offered and secured it in her rental car for the moment and supervised as Jamie climbed into the SUV. 

 

“Bye Ms. Ashley!” Jamie waved as Ashley ducked into the van and closed the door, waving back. 

 

Alex climbed into the driver’s seat and placed her hands on the wheel, inhaling a deep breath before sighing slowly. 

 

She had a kid now. 

 

But she still vaguely felt empty. 


	2. I love you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m going to try and post these as chronologically as I can. for now it’s easy, but they’ll probably get all mixed up. I will make sure to tell you the chronological order they go in though, so don’t worry. anyway, this one follows directly after one. :) 
> 
> I have been soaking up the comments you’re leaving on other works in the series and I am so grateful! I love them all! thank you guys so much for the love and kind words!

 

The lawyer, Bridget, had given her the key to the apartment since it had been put in Alex’s name to be given to Jamie. 

 

It still didn’t help knowing it was now hers and she and a five year old had to pack away the child’s belongings that would be moved across the country. 

 

Alex slides the key in the door and unlocks it, pushing it open. 

 

She watches as Jamie walks right inside and turns around, looking at Alex. “I haven’t been home in a week.” She says and Alex offers her a sad smile. 

 

“Remember what I said on the ride here?” Alex questions. “We have to pack your things up because you’re coming to live with me.” She says and Jamie nods. 

 

“Can I take some of Mama’s things too?” Jamie asks and Alex nods, remembering the letter from Maggie in her will. 

 

“Of course. But I think for right now, we should order some pizza for lunch. What do you think?” She asks and Jamie grins, ear to ear. 

 

She runs straight into the kitchen, pulling open the drawer next to the kitchen sink and fishes out a stack of take-out menus, bringing them back to Alex. “Alex, these are all of Mama’s and my favourite places to eat at.” She informs and Alex thumbs through the stack, pulling out a menu for a pizzeria. 

 

She finds out just what kind of pizza Jamie wanted before ordering and following Jamie into one of the bedrooms, finding her staring at Maggie’s bed from just inside the doorway. 

 

“She’s really gone?” Jamie whispers quietly, looking up at Alex, the realization hitting her that her mother was gone.

 

Alex crouches down to her level, looking at the little girl. “She is. But, you know she’s going to live in our hearts forever, okay? Mama will always be watching over you too, Jamie.” Alex tells her. 

 

Jamie reaches out, wrapping her arms around Alex’s neck and hugging her. “I love you, Alex. Thank you for coming to get me.” She said, holding Alex tightly. 

 

Alex adjusts and sits down on the floor in the middle of the doorway, pulling Jamie into her lap, holding her tightly. She rests her chin atop of the girl’s head as stray tears start to roll down her cheeks. 

 

“I love you too.” She says, rubbing Jamie’s back. 

 

Jamie stands up after a moment, walking to the side of Maggie’s bed, crouching down and laying on her stomach, reaching under the queen sized bed, pulling out a shoe box before laying back down and reaching for another. She picks one up, and nudges the other one over to Alex with her foot, placing them in front of the woman sitting on the floor, currently wiping her tear-stained face. 

 

Alex’s eyes go wide, generally concerned to what things were contained in the boxes in front of her. Carefully, she takes the box Jamie’s offering her and tries to discreetly open it, peeking inside at its contents. She sighs in content when she finds a stack of papers gently folded. She sets the box down in front of her, thumbing through the papers, noticing the dates and how each one is addressed to her. 

 

She could’ve sworn her heart stopped beating for a moment as she picks up the letter dated a month after their breakup, seemingly looking like the first letter. 

 

She reads the short note, letting her emotions soar and a few tears return to her eyes as she struggles to read the last words. She tucks the letter back away, thumbing through the rest, noting the evident tear, coffee and wine stains on some of the letters. She tucks them all back into the box, grabbing the other box at Jamie’s feet, finding another stack of letters, again, with her name on them. 

 

“Alex?” Jamie says, breaking the silence. “Mama told me she would give these to you if she ever saw you again, but that’s not going to happen now, so I’m giving them to you.” She tells her. “She wrote you letters a lot. She said it helped her cope with everything. Sometimes, when I had a bad dream, I would come into her room and she was sitting in bed just writing. She said she wrote you letters because she couldn’t tell you all the things she wanted to say to you if you were here.” Jamie said, taking her seat back in Alex’s lap. 

 

“Mama’s wrote all these letters to me?” Alex asks. There’s a sob held in the back of her throat she’s forcing to keep down. She doesn’t need to break down in front of a child. 

 

“Yeah, and sometimes she wrote about me. I know in one letter, I don’t know which one, but she tells you the story of my name. I know that one by heart.” Jamie smiles. “Can I tell you it?”

 

“Of course you can.” Alex says, tucking a tendril of hair behind Jamie’s tiny ear, just like she used to do for Maggie. 

 

“Mama said my first name, Jamie, was just one she liked and it doesn’t have any snif–sin-nif–” She struggles with the word. 

 

“Significance?” Alex fills in and Jamie smiles up at her. 

 

“Yeah, that. Mama said my first name didn’t have that, but my middle name Alexandra is after you.” Jamie says, looking in her eyes. “She said that she named me after you, because that way I was still a part of you too. Because she loved you so much. She told me how you and her used to be almost-married and then she said ‘you know what, Jamie? Mama made the biggest mistake of her life when she left Alex’ because she didn’t want to have kids, and you did. Mama never wanted kids and that’s why you guys couldn’t get married anymore because she said she couldn’t give you the  _ whole _ world. And then it hurt Mama when she had me, because she didn’t have you with her, and she was scared and didn’t know what to do.” 

 

Alex read Maggie’s word from the letter in the will, but it didn’t really hit her that Jamie actually knew so much about their relationship. Maggie really did tell her everything. 

 

“And I know at first, Mama struggled because she didn’t want me, but when she got better, she loved me so much. And I love her too.” Jamie continued. 

 

Alex freezes again. Maggie was honest. And she should have been concerned that a five year old knew that when she was a baby, Maggie didn’t want her, but the way Jamie talks about Maggie, you’d think she hung the stars and moon for her kid. Maggie had learned to love Jamie, and never stopped showing her and letting her know that. 

 

“And Alex, Mama used to tell me stories about you too. I’m happy that she named me after you. I used to ask Mama when I could meet you, and she always just said ‘one day, Mija’ and even though I’m sad that she’s gone now, I’m happy I get to have you too. Mama said if she ever got the nervous to see you again, she’d tell you she loved you and ask you to come back to her, and be my mom with her.” Jamie finished her story, leaning her head onto Alex’s chest. 

 

“She told you all that?” Alex asked, actually a bit shocked. 

 

“A lot. I loved hearing the love story about Agent Danbers and Detectib Sawyer. That’s what Mama used to call it. And she also used to tell me about when she worked with Supergirl. And You work with her too!” She smiled, excitedly, remembering that Alex worked with the hero. “Can I meet her when we go back to your house?”

 

Alex laughs. “Yes you can. And hey,” She pauses, tipping Jamie’s chin up with her fingertips, “It’s going to be your home too, you know that right?” Jamie nods. “Actually, I think I’m going to have to rent a bigger place. My apartment only has one room.” Alex says, letting the realization hit her. 

 

Jamie just settles into Alex’s embrace. The two girls sit curled up on the floor in Maggie’s room, with boxes of letters around them, uninterrupted until the buzzer sounds, signaling the pizza delivery was downstairs. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> um, can we talk about the tiny little speech impediment that Jamie has? she can’t say big words like significance. says nervous instead of nerve and “Agent Danbers and Detectib Sawyer” because she can’t pronounce her V’s. so cuteeee. I could eat her up.


	3. Mommy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this follows up a few days after two 
> 
> enjoy!

  
  


Alex is busy trying to take all of Jamie’s clothes that were hanging in her closet and fold them into boxes while Jamie was packing books from her bookshelf into a box. They have three more days left in Gotham city, and Jamie’s room is almost fully packed up. 

 

She notices the singing stopped and she turns around from staring at the closet and looks to where Jamie had been sitting, not finding the five year old. 

 

“Jamie?” She calls out into the apartment. She walks out of the little girl’s room and across the hall into Maggie’s room. 

 

She finds Jamie standing next to the dresser, pulling a hoodie over her head. Jamie straightens it out and it falls past her knees. Alex smiles at the sight of the five year old swimming in a sweatshirt too big for her tiny frame. She then furrows her brow, looking at the writing on the front, recognizing the familiar writing. 

 

“This is my favourite sweatshirt of Mama’s.” Jamie tells her. “I was cold. I’ll go back to packing my books now.” She smiled, looking up at Alex and then running off to her bedroom across the hall. 

 

Alex stands frozen in place before shaking herself out of her daze and following Jamie. 

 

She walks up behind the girl who was sitting on the floor, picking her up and tossing her onto her bed before standing next to the bed. She hovers over Jamie. 

 

“Did Mama ever tell you that was my sweatshirt?” She asks, tickling Jamie. The little girl laughs uncontrollably, thrashing on the bed, yelling for Alex to cease her tickle assault. 

 

“It’s mine!” She shouts. Alex only tickles more. 

 

“It was mine first.” She laughs. 

 

Jamie manages to slip out from Alex’s grasp and slide off the bed running out of the room. Alex turns to run after her. 

 

“Can’t catch me, Mommy!” Jamie shrieks out as she runs down the hall. 

 

Alex freezes. 

 

_ Mommy _ . 

 

Her heart beats rapidly in her chest and she forgets how to breathe. 

 

_ Mommy _ . 

Jamie just called her  _ mommy _ . 

 

“Are you not going to chase me?” Jamie says, snapping Alex out of her trance. She doesn’t know how long Jamie has been staring at her from the doorway. 

 

“You called me mommy.” Alex manages to say after a very awkward silence. 

 

Jamie’s face floods with guilt and she blinks a few times. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. I won’t do it again.” She stammers. 

 

Alex walks over to her, lifting her up into her arms. 

 

“Hey, no, I’m not mad.” She whispers softly, hoping Jamie wouldn’t start crying. “You just surprised me. A good surprise, because I know Mama told you she wished she could raise you with me and I would be your mom, but when you called me Mommy it just made me realize that this is really real. That I am going to be raising you and be your mom. If you’re okay with that, I would love to be your mommy.” Alex says, smoothing Jamie’s hair back, out of her face. 

 

Jamie just rests her head against Alex’s shoulder as Alex rubs her back. “I love you Mommy.” 

 

Alex forgets how to breathe.


	4. Maggie’s Vows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this actually says when it takes place :D 
> 
> it hurt me too. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!
> 
> also, again, LtA is acting weird, but it’s updated! letter 7 is now posted

 

Today marked the one year anniversary of the phone call she got from the lawyer in Gotham city. It makes her sick to her stomach that Maggie’s already been gone a year and a week. It makes her sad to think about everything that had happened between them and how she wished she could take it all back. 

 

It’s unfortunately a Tuesday and she had spent the whole day, bored at the DEO while Jamie was at school. She then picked her daughter up from the school and decided on getting chinese takeout for dinner, wanting to have a really quiet evening, just her and the little girl who reminded her so much of her ex. 

 

Jamie was a spitting image of Maggie. If Alex didn’t know any better, she may even call Jamie a clone. 

 

Jamie had Maggie’s big brown eyes, dimples and smile. Her hair was just like Maggie’s too, and Alex loved to tuck it behind the little girl’s ears, just as she used to with Maggie. And again, exactly like Maggie, Jamie would only eat vegan ice cream. It drove her nuts, but the mere idea of Maggie living on in Jamie like that made her heart swell with love. 

 

After her and Jamie had eaten dinner and relaxed on the couch with a movie, she sent Jamie to bed for the night with a hug and a kiss, wishing her daughter sweet dreams and tucking her in. Alex crawled into her own bed after that, flicking on the lamp on her nightstand, and grabbing the picture that was sitting next to the light. She ran her thumb over Maggie’s cheek in the photo, one of the many pictures she had of them and loved. This one was one Kara had taken while they were over for girl’s night, before they’d even gotten engaged. She stares down at the picture, memories flooding her mind of all the good times and even bad times they had. She’d give anything to have Maggie back now.

 

She leans over the side of the bed and grabs the box of letters out from underneath. Maggie had written so many, she was still reading through each one. She thumbs through them, finding the last one she read before pulling out the next unread one. 

 

_ Alex,  _

_ I found something today that took me by surprise and I felt like I should share it with you.  _

_ The day we packed my things away at your apartment, I’d stuffed this away. I hid them from you and never remembered to retrieve it. But I found them today, in my cards box, you know the one I keep all my cards from people in? I guess I shoved it in there. I found it today when I went to put my mother’s day card, that Jamie made me at preschool, in the box for safe keeping.  _

_ It was just sitting on top, and I didn’t even think about them, didn’t even remember them until today.  _

_ These were my wedding vows to you.  _

 

Alex takes a shaky breath, inhaling deeply, contemplating on continuing to read. She does, flipping the page of the letter to see the vows Maggie had written years ago scrawled out with notes all over. 

 

_ Alex,  _

_ I stand in front of you and our friends and family today on the biggest day of our lives to tell you I love you.  _

_ I never saw myself getting married, or having everything I could ever want, but I do with you. You are my everything. You showed me how to love. You taught me compassion.  _

_ I love that I’m able to work side by side with someone who understands me like you do. I can’t live without you. I’ve learned to merely co-exist in my life, because it’s not just mine anymore. It’s going to be ours.  _

_ You understand and know me better than anyone else in this universe, maybe even better than I know myself. I can’t wait to be able to call you my wife. I can’t wait to be your wife and we can start our forever. Ever since the day you stepped foot on my crime scene, it’s been the best day of my life. You are it for me.  _

_ I love you more than you could ever know, and nothing is going to change that. _

_ Ride or die, babe, forever.  _

 

Alex laughs quietly to herself at a few parts in the vows, wiping the tears from her cheeks and flips to the last page of the letter, finishing the reading of what Maggie was saying. 

 

_ I don’t know if I’ll ever get to say those words to you in person, so I just wanted them to be written here.  _

_ I love you more than you could ever know _

_        Maggie _

 

Alex gently folded the letter and tucked it back into the shoebox and laid the box on the nightstand. Some days she hated reading these letters, for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes it was the content, of whatever Maggie had decided to tell her in that letter, or sometimes she hated them just because it was one of her last ties to Maggie, wishing so badly Maggie was right next to her. 

 

She jumped, being yanked out of her reverie as her bedroom door slowly pushed open and her eyes landed on an innocent six year old, stuffed dog tucked under her arm. 

 

“Bad dream?” She questioned, knowing exactly what it was. Jamie had chronic nightmares. It scared her the first time it happened, when Jamie woke up crying and she ran into her room, seeing the frightened child sitting on her bed, crying. She’d cradled Jamie in her arms and brought her into her bed, laying her down and crawling in next to her. That was the first night she started reading some of the letters to Jamie. 

 

Jamie nodded, answering Alex’s question and climbed up onto the side of the bed that Alex was gently patting. “What letter did you read tonight?” Jamie asked, curling into Alex’s side and looking up at her. Alex wrapped her arm around her daughter and sunk down into the bed. 

 

“Mama wrote her wedding vows to me, so many years ago, when we were supposed to get married. And she put them in her letter for tonight.” Alex said, plucking the letter from the box next to her. 

 

She started rereading the vows to Jamie, lost in the words again. 

 

She missed the sight of Jamie mouthing verbatim every word that Maggie had written in her vows. 

 

“I love you more than you could ever know, and nothing is going to change that.” Jamie whispered, nodding back off to sleep. 

 

Alex furrowed her brow in confusion as she wiped back hair from Jamie’s face and placed a kiss on her head, laying the letter back in the box and turning off the lamp, taking one last glance at the picture of her and Maggie in the frame. 

 

“I love you, forever, babe.” She whispered to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come yell at me...


	5. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! so, this part was one I wanted to post before I post “present” which is going up later tonight. and it was giving me a bit of trouble, plus I was swamped with schoolwork and that comes first. anyway, I hope any of you fellow Americans had a happy thanksgiving and everyone else, had a happy November. 
> 
> thank you all so so so much for all your likes and reviews. they mean so much to me! they are so sweet and sometimes funny. without further adieu. 
> 
> this falls in place, when it says, a week and a half after Alex meets Jamie and spans across three weeks. 
> 
> also I didn’t proofread this so, sorry. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Alex takes a deep breath, repeating to herself that this was just a formality. She was just going to walk in those double doors and wait for the judge to sign off on the legal guardianship papers and be able to take Jamie home for good. 

 

It had only been a week and a half that she and Jamie had been together. One week she spent in Gotham City, helping Jamie pack her life away, and the past three days, helping the little girl get acquainted to National City. She had taken time off, and wanted to spend her time with Jamie, showing her around the city, taking her to her favourite cafe, treating the child to hot chocolate, took her to Noonan’s, to Maggie’s old favourite vegan ice cream place, and introduced her to Kara, Lena, Sam and Ruby. 

 

The happiness high only lasted for the first day, when she was called in for an emergency at work and panicked, realizing she couldn’t bring a child to work with her. She ended up calling Ruby, seeing if the sixteen year old would babysit for a few hours. Thankfully Ruby was still on break and she was able to watch Jamie, the two getting along great. Alex had her watch Jamie a couple times before the hearing, due to having a disaster at work that needed her attention. 

 

But it brought her here, Thursday morning, at half past ten in the morning, standing stoically in a white blouse and a pair of dark work slacks. She took another deep breath, pushing open the doors and locking eyes with her attorney, smiling at the woman before taking a seat next to her waiting for the judge. Moments later, Kara, Lena, Sam, Ruby, and Jamie all filed in behind her, Kara giving her a double-thumbs up as good luck. 

 

Honourable Judge Samuels walked out and she stood up before retaking her seat after the judge did. 

 

“Agent Danvers, I’ve reviewed you file.” He spoke and Alex smiled. “I’m declining your request.” He said and Alex’s mouth hung open as she looked between the judge and her attorney. 

 

She stood up, formally. “W-What do you mean you’re declining my request?” Her fists clenched tightly at her hips. 

 

“Agent Danvers, you are a single, unmarried woman in the FBI. What happens if you need to go into work on short notice?” He questions slyly. 

 

“One of the multiple people sitting behind me will step up to the plate, and have already. I was called into a work emergency since I’ve brought Jamie to National City, and both Ruby and her mother Sam have watched her. I know it takes a village to raise a child, and I have one.” She defends. 

 

“What happens when you don’t make it home from work one day? Isn’t that what brought us here in the first place?” He remarks. 

 

Alex clenches her jaw, narrowing her eyes at the man. “I am very good at my job, Your Honour. And I don’t plan on not coming home. I plan to be there for my daughter.” She snaps, not realizing it was the first time she audibly referred to Jamie as her daughter. 

 

“I’m sorry, my answer is final.” He said, looking down, picking up his pen to sign his denial. 

 

“You can’t just do that!” Everyone stared at the teenager who was standing up, redfaced, with her arm out in front of her. “You can’t do that! Alex has been like an aunt to me since I was ten years old. She’s someone I always went to and when I babysit Jamie for her, Jamie can’t stop talking about her _ Mommy _ . Because that’s what Alex is, her mom. Detective Sawyer’s intent was that Alex have Jamie and it’s in Jamie’s best interest that she stays with Alex! She is a great aunt, a great woman, a great mother. Maggie personally wrote that she wanted Jamie with Alex, this isn’t fair!” Ruby shouted. 

 

“Life isn’t fair, Miss.” The judge said sternly. “Now, are you going to sit quietly for the rest of this hearing, or do I have to have you removed fro my courtroom?” He asked, and Ruby huffed. 

 

“C’mon Jamie, let’s get you a snack at the vending machine.” She said, offering her hand to Jamie. Jamie waited for Alex to nod her head before walking out with Ruby.

 

“What if we make a deal?” Alex’s attorney spoke up, thinking fast.    
  


“What kind of deal?” The judge waited. 

 

“A foster family, or something. Let my client chose a family she’s comfortable with to send her daughter to live with and grant her visitation. It’s only fair since you’re ripping this child out of the only other life she’s ever known. The child’s birth mother even requested for her to be sent with my client.” The bright redhead says, thinking quickly on her feet. 

 

“Ms. Alver,” The judge sighed, “I’ll give you one week to find a foster family. I’m calling a recess for now so you can discuss with your client the terms and conditions.” He said before leaving the stand.

 

Alex was in tears. This wasn’t how today was supposed to go. She was just glad Ruby pulled Jamie out just before all hell had broken loose. 

 

“What does this mean now? I’m just supposed to see my kid on weekends? All because I’m in the FBI?” Alex sneered, wiping tears from her eyes. Sam had stepped up to her, rubbing a hand on her back as Kara walked up to hold her hand. 

 

“For now, yes.” Rose sighed. “We can now take the week and focus on finding a foster family you approve of.” 

 

“I won’t approve of any!” Alex said in frustration. 

 

“If you want to still see your daughter, you’ll take the deal and settle on a foster family here. If not, the state can take Jamie and place her anywhere in the country, and you won’t see her again until she’s of age.” Rose explained and Alex bowed her head in defeat. 

 

“Okay, I’ll take the deal.” 

 

The door to the courtroom creaked open and Ruby poked her head in. “Can we come back in?” She questioned and everyone nodded except Alex who kept her head bowed. 

 

“Mommy, did you do it? Did the guy sign the paper? Did you convince him? Am I yours forever?” Jamie rambled on as she skipped up to Alex with half a kit-kat bar in her hand. 

 

Alex looks up from the floor and locks eyes with her daughter as a stray tear rolls down her cheek. 

 

“You get to keep me, right?” Jamie asks weakly. Her tiny bottom lip quivers as she sees Alex’s face. The darker redhead shuts her eyes tightly, and fights back tears as she shakes her head. Jamie throws what’s left of her kit-kat on the floor in anger and looks Alex dead in the eye. “I hate you!” She shouts, running out of the courtroom. 

 

Ruby turns on her heel, sprinting out behind the five year old. “I’ll get her.” She calls back as Kara holds Alex back. 

 

“Let Ruby get her.” Kara whispers. 

 

“She hates me.” Alex cries. 

 

“She loves you, she’s just scared and hurt right now.” Lena pipes up, knowing from experience what Jamie was feeling. 

 

Alex sets the box of tissues and the bottle of scotch down on the coffee table as she huffs, getting up from the couch and wiping the tears from her eyes as she shuffled to the door. “Kara, I told you, I want to be alo––” She opens the door, shocked that Kara was not on the other side. 

 

“Not Kara.” Her guest says with a smile, pushing past her and entering Alex’s dark apartment. “But she did call, and I got her voicemail. Also, Alex, you reek of alcohol.” 

 

“Lucy, what are you doing here?” She asks the short brunette. 

 

“Helping you.” She said, picking up the bottle of scotch and putting it away in the kitchen, flicking on lights and opening the blinds. Alex groaned in annoyance. “I came home from work one night, three weeks ago, to find a voicemail from your sister, asking me about legal advice about your situation because you lost custody of Jamie, she explained the details, and I had to finish up a work thing, but booked a flight out here to help you as soon as my schedule had freed up, I’m sorry it took so long. But I’m here now to help. Tell me what happened?” Lucy said, leading Alex to sit on the couch. 

 

And Alex did. 

 

“So, now she’s been living with this foster family here in the city for two weeks and I got to visit her for the first time yesterday, and she yelled at me. She said she hated me, again, and she didn’t want to see me ever again.” Alex said, crying. Lucy handed her another tissue and held her hand. 

 

“I’m going to fix this.” Lucy said, promising her. 

“A thing I learned in the two weeks I got to be a parent, don’t promise something you don’t know you can keep, someone you love will end up hating you.” Alex said sadly. 

 

“I’m going to fix this.” Lucy repeated, looking Alex dead in the eye this time. 

 

So it brought Alex back to court on that Monday afternoon, Judge Samuels surprised to see her face, but was even more shocked when Lucy walked in a minute after he sat down at his seat.    
  
“Not sorry to keep you waiting, Judge Samuels.” Lucy quipped. She hated this arrogant old bastard. 

 

“Major Lane, pleasure as always.” He deadpanned. “I’m guessing Rose Alver is no longer representing Agent Danvers?” He assumed. 

 

“You’d be correct. I’m Alex’s lawyer now. And we’re here to get her daughter back.” 

 

“You’re wasting your breath.” 

 

“She’s an unfit mother.” Samuels shot back. 

 

“How? You’ve never made home visits, and the social workers on the case, both, made notes in her files of how she was great with Jamie.” Lucy argued.

 

“Ah, her files. They were the exact reasons  _ why. _ ” He sneered. 

 

“How so?” Lucy inquired. 

 

“You see, Major Lane, your client here has quite a lot of information in her files that is missing, it’s redacted.” Lucy laughed. 

 

“There’s reason for that.” Lucy explains, looking to Alex, debating what to say next. 

 

“Care to share?” Samuels asks. “Because the redacted information gives me plenty of information as to why your client shouldn’t have a child. Anyone with redacted information on their records shouldn’t be caring for a minor.” 

 

“It’s redacted because she works for a secret government agency known as the DEO, Department of Extra-Normal Operations, she’s the reason why this city isn’t being attacked by aliens and under control. Her ‘on-file’ credentials is the FBI.” Lucy explained. 

 

“You think I’m supposed to just believe that? With what evidence, Major Lane?” The judge shakes his head in disbelief. 

 

“I’m her boss.” Lucy spits out. “I’m the Co-Director of the DEO and while away, I have another trusted Agent who is my Co-Director while I’m away on business, and when he is away, Agent Danvers is listed as the Assistant Director.” She explains truthfully, watching as a shocked expression crosses the judge’s face as she walks right up to him with a file, presenting their credentials. “Agent Danvers is one hell of an agent, friend and mother. She was the only person to even take Jamie in, even after being shocked about her existence and the death of her ex-fiance.” She said before handing him another file. 

 

He flipped it open, looking at the contents. 

 

“There was an obituary released, in honour of Detective Sawyer, commemorating her work and letting the world know that she is going to remembered by her five-year-old daughter, who looked up to her mother, a single mom.” Lucy explained. “You’d think that if Detective Sawyer had any family that cared, they’d step up to the plate, but no one did, except Alex. Amd Alex was even personally named in Maggie Sawyer’s will––the only person named––in her will. Alex Danvers decided to uproot her life for a child and take her in, even without knowing of her existence and became a mother to this little girl. Alex may have never known about her, but from what she’s told me, Maggie told her daughter all about Alex and how much she loved her. To make sure that if something, like her dying, ever happened, Jamie wouldn’t be scared of essentially living with a stranger. So, tell me Samuels, why doesn’t my client deserve to keep her child?” She lays out and into the man, stating all her facts. 

 

“She’s unfit. What happens when she gets injured on the job and can’t take care of the kid?” He snaps. 

 

“I’ll make it my personal duty to babysit Jamie myself.” Lucy practically growls. 

 

“And what if she’s killed on the job?” He shoots back. 

 

“She has a higher chance of getting killed in a car accident or struck by lightning, but that doesn’t stop anyone from going outside and living their lives. That’s not a plausible excuse, your honour.” Lucy deadpans. She’s not giving up. “Is that all?” 

 

Judge Samuels grumbles, looking at the two women and squints his eyes. “I don’t like your cockiness Major Lane, but I’m inclined to see your point. Agent Danvers, congratulations, it’s a girl.” He says sarcastically, signing a piece of paper. “Now get out of here, I’d like to not see you again.” He grumbles once more before getting up and leaving. 

 

Alex, who’d stayed quiet the whole time, looked at Lucy, a grin breaking out across her whole face. “You did it. You actually freaking did it!” She said, happy tears rolling down her cheeks. 

 

“Come on, Danvers, let’s go pick up your kid. It’s almost dinner time.” Lucy says, packing the last of her files back in her briefcase before heading out of the courtroom, Alex in tow. 

 

She pulled up to the humble two story townhouse on Crescent Street surrounded with a little while picket fence out front, sitting in the car, waiting for Alex to get her kid. 

 

Alex knocked on the door, papers in hand as Jane Wells, Jamie’s foster mother, opens the door. “Were you scheduled to visit?” She asked. “Did I forget?” She says confused and Alex shakes her head. 

 

“No, ma’am. We just had another hearing and I was granted custody of my daughter.” Alex says, presenting her with the papers. 

 

“Oh.” Jane says with a sad smile. “I’m happy for you, even if I’m a bit sad. Kurt and I really grew to love Jamie. She’s in her room if you’d follow me.” She said and Alex entered the house, following the dark haired woman. “Jamie, you have a visitor.” She said, knocking on the door, opening it. 

 

Jamie was currently laying out on her bed, on her stomach, flipping through the pages of a book. She looked up happily before meeting Alex’s eyes as she was stationed at the door. Her happy expression replaced with a scowl as she returned her attention to her book. 

 

“You can leave, I don’t want to see you. I hate you, ‘member?” She said, not looking up. 

 

“I just thought you’d like to see something I brought you.” She said and Jamie looked up, eyeing her. 

 

“I’ll leave you two, and Alex, you’re welcome to stay for dinner.” Jane says before ducking out f the room and returning to the kitchen. 

 

Alex pads into the room, painted a light pink, something she knows Jamie absolutely hated, because her favourite color was blue, just like Alex. She sits down on the bed as Jamie sits up from her position and leans back against her pillows. Alex pulls out the paper from the manilla envelope she was holding. 

 

“You know I can’t read good. What’s it say?” Jamie asked sternly. Alex can tell she’s not trying to show emotions, but she knows the little girl, her  _ daughter _ , is happy to see her.

 

“This says, ‘Jamie Alexandra Sawyer is legally Alexandra Danvers’s daughter’ and it’s signed by that grumpy judge.” Alex tells her. “But, if you’d rather, I can leave you here with the Wells’ in this disgustingly pink room and only visit you on weekends.” She shrugged, standing up. 

 

Jamie grabs her hand before she can step away and Alex looks down at her daughter sitting on the bed, looking at their hands. “I still hate you.” She grumbles as Alex sits down on the bed again. Jamie plays with Alex’s fingers on her left hand, namely the engagement ring she started wearing again for Jamie’s sake. 

 

“No you don’t.” 

 

“Alex, you promised that I would stay with you and then I got sent here.” She said sasdly. Alex squeezes her hand gently in her own before pulling Jamie onto her lap and tipping her chin up to make eye contact. 

 

“I know I did. And I know the past two weeks here was terrible because you were here, but I’m here now. And we can go home. I’m here to take you home now. Because no matter how much you hate me, I love you more.”

 

Jamie wraps her arms around Alex’s neck, tucking her head into Alex’s shoulder. “I love you, Mommy.” Jamie says softly. And with that, Alex stands up with Jamie in her arms and walks out of the room and into the dining area of the Wells’ house. 

 

“I’m just getting dinner plated up, did you want to stay?” Jane asks. “Kurt’s going to be home––” She’s cut off by the sound of a door and her husband’s voice echoing through the house and he greets her with a kiss, smiling at Alex and Jamie. 

 

“I think we’re going to get going. My friend is in the car, she gave me a ride. Can we come back tomorrow for Jamie’s stuff?” She asks and Jane nods. 

 

“Of course. And Jamie, it was lovely to have you here for the short time we did.” Jane smiled, touching Jamie’s arm. 

 

“Thanks.” She says. “You guys were good parents, even if you did make me sleep in a pink room and force me to eat vegetables.” All three of the adults laughed at her comment. 

 

“Thank you for taking such good care of her.” Alex says before leaving. “I’ll call you tomorrow when we are on our way back for her stuff?” She questions and the Wells’ both nod and wave as Alex and Jamie duck into the black car in the driveway. 

 

“I’m hungry.” Jamie whines. 

 

“Hi Hungry, I’m Lucy.” Lucy says with a laugh. “Where to, boss?” She winks at Alex through the rearview. 

 

“Home. Jamie, we’re going to order chinese food and invite everyone over so we can surprise them that you’re back.” Alex tells her, securing the seat belt around her daughter, knowing she should be in her car seat but they’d taken Lucy’s car this afternoon and she didn’t think to bring a car seat with her. 

 

“You mean they don’t know?” She asks and Alex shakes her head. 

 

Alex unlocks the door after sliding her phone back in her pocket, ordering enough chinese food to probably feed everyone on Lucy’s army, and leads Jamie and Lucy inside. “I texted Kara and her and Lena should be here in a bit, they were about to head to dinner themselves but I told Kara it was an emergency girl’s night and I ordered food. And Sam said she was going to pick Ruby up from babysitting and will meet here. Jamie, go hide in the bathroom. She said, ushering Jamie over to the only room in her tiny apartment with a door. “When the food gets here, then come out, okay?” She said and Jamie nodded. Alex offered Jamie her phone to pass the time by playing a game as she shut the bathroom door behind her and took a seat on the toilet lid.

 

Alex knew Kara was on her way and the hero would surely detect Jamie’s voice if she was in the open apartment with them when she knocked on the door. 

 

Soon enough, after Sam, Ruby, Kara and Lena arrived and Alex introduced Lucy to Lena, Sam and Ruby, they all sat down with glasses of wine, and a soda for Ruby. A knock at the door signaled that their food was here and Alex got up to pay for it, smiling. “Food’s here, let’s eat.” Alex announced and set the multiple bags of chinese food on the counter. 

 

“Finally!” Jamie said, throwing open the bathroom door and running into the kitchen, clambering up onto a barstool. 

 

“What the heck?” Kara was the first to speak. Alex, Jamie and Lucy were all sporting smiles. 

 

“Luce, here, got my kid back.” She said, giving the brunette a one-armed side-hug, before stepping around her to press a kiss to Jamie’s head. 

 

The four other girls smiled, passing around hugs. 

 

“I’m home.” Jamie smiled, fully of joy as she was wrapped in a group hug. 

 

“And here I thought Lucy was just ignoring my calls again.” Kara chucked and Lucy punched the Kryptonian’s arm. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come yell at me...


	6. Meeting Supergirl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a little requested fic of Jamie meeting Kara AND Supergirl for the first times. if you want to see something specific, feel free to let me know!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this takes place before part 5. the day Alex brings Jamie to National City!

 

Jamie shifts nervously in her seat as Alex buckles the seatbelt across her tiny waist. She’s never been on an airplane before. It’s big, and loud, and packed. There are tons of people on it and it weighs so much, she didn’t really understand how it could just fly, because “gravity, mommy,” and Alex did her best to explain the logistics of the plane to a five year old. 

 

Jamie relatively understands the fact that it takes science to get it to fly. That didn’t mean she was any less scared when they started barrelling down the runway at top speed and started to tilt upward, taking off into the sky. Her ears popping constantly on the way up as Alex encouraged her to eat her goldfish to make it stop. She shoved a tiny handful into her mouth; it helped. 

 

She still had a death grip on Alex’s hand, the whole four and a half hour flight, and when they landed, she finally stood up from her seat and announced “Mommy, I have to potty really badly. I was too scared to get up before.” 

 

So Alex hurried her off the plane when it was their turn to exit, ushering her daughter as quickly as she could to the nearest bathroom, hoping to avoid any accidents while she texted Kara that they’d landed. 

 

She’d left her car at the airport, so she could drive it home. And Kara said she and Lena were waiting in her apartment with food. She was thankful for her sister, thinking about how hungry she was as she lifted Jamie up to wash her hands. 

 

“Let’s get rolling, my sister Kara and her girlfriend Lena are waiting at the apartment with food. Are you hungry?” Alex asked and Jamie nodded. The two girls gathered their bags from baggage claim, having most of the the stuff from Maggie’s apartment shipped to National City, but Alex had taken a few necessities in their luggage. 

 

Alex strapped in the temporary booster seat she still had, into her backseat, watching Jamie climb into the seat and she strapped the belt around her daughter, pulling to lock it before putting their bags in the back and getting in the driver’s seat. 

 

She made it back to her place, Kara meeting them out front with Lena to help with their bags. Kara opened up the back door of Alex’s SUV, smiling at Jamie. 

 

“Hi Jamie!” She smiled. “Can I help you out?” She asked. Jamie nodded silently, undoing her seatbelt before Kara helped lift her out of the vehicle and onto the pavement, crouching down to the child’s level. “I’m so happy to meet you, Little One. I’m so glad you’re here.” She smiled, holding one of Jamie’s tiny hands. 

 

Jamie smiled at her, wrapping her arms around Kara’s neck. “I’m happy to meet you too, Aunt Kara. My Mama told me all about you.” Kara lifted the girl effortlessly onto her hip and grabbed one of the heavier bags from the back, heading for the door, leaving her sister and girlfriend in her wake. 

 

“I bet she did. Mama is the best sister ever.” Kara said, not realizing. 

 

“No, no. Alex is not Mama. She’s  _ Mommy.” _ Jamie explained and Kara raised her brow in surprise. 

 

“I understand now. What did Mama tell you about me?” She asked and Jamie smiled. 

 

“That you and her didn’t always get along sometimes, but she loved you. And sisters were supposed to fight sometimes. But at the end of the day she could always count on you because you was the best little sister she ever had, even if you were the only one.” Jamie explained. 

 

“Well, the feeling was mutual. And I wish I was a better sister to her. But I promise you I’ll be the best Aunt Kara you’ll ever have, okay, Little One?” Kara promised and Jamie nodded. 

 

“Aunt Kara, can I tell you a secret?” 

 

“You can always tell me secrets.” Kara reassured. 

 

“Mama told me to never tell anybody, and you’re the first person I ever told. And I’m never gonna tell anybody else, okay?” She said and Kara nodded. Jamie leaned in real close to Kara’s ear before whispering. “Mama said she used to work with Supergirl and one time she said Supergirl was Kara on accident. She was showing me a picture and said your name, so I asked her. And so she told me you were Supergirl. But Aunt Kara, you can’t tell no one I told you.” Jamie pleaded. 

 

“You haven’t told anyone that?” Kara asked and Jamie shook her head. 

 

“Nope. Mama told me more than a year ago, and I haven’t told my teacher or my old bestest friend Kayla from school or no one that my Aunt Kara is Supergirl. I pinky promised Mama.” She said. 

 

“Well, Little One, you still can’t tell anyone, but all of our close friends know. Like Mommy does, obviously, because she’s my sister, and we work together. And our boss J’onn knows. And Alex’s mom. And Lena, and Winn and James and Lucy and Sam and Ruby, but that’s it. No one outside of those people know and no one else can know, okay?” She says and Jamie nods, holding out her pinky finger. 

 

“I pinky promise, Aunt Kara.” She says as Kara locks pinkies with her. 

 

“Maybe one day Mommy will let me take you flying.” She said and Jamie let out a tiny yelp. 

 

“Not if you’re like the airplane ride. I hate flying.” Jamie said and Kara laughed. 

 

“It’s so much better than airplane flying.” 

 

“What are you two laughing about?” Alex asks as she breaks away from her conversation with Lena, bringing Kara a glass of water. 

 

“Aunt Kara said she’d take me flying one day if you let her. She said it’s nothing like flying in a plane.” Jamie said, still in Kara’s arms. 

 

Alex looked pointedly at her sister. “You told a five year old your secret?” She asked. 

 

“She knew!” Kara defended herself. “She said she wanted to tell me a secret, and then she said she knew I was Supergirl.” 

 

“Because Mama said I wasn’t supposed to tell nobody.” 

 

“You knew the whole time?” Alex asked her daughter, baffled. Jamie only nodded. “Well, you’re a better secret keeper than your Auntie Kara, here.” She said, offering her arms out to Jamie who obliged and Alex lifted her out of Kara’s arms, leaving the blonde with her mouth hanging open. “Now let’s be sociable and meet Aunt Lena, since Aunt Kara basically kidnapped you from the car.” 

 

Alex formally introduced Jamie to Lena and left the two to chat animatedly at the kitchen bar about books. Jamie telling Lena all about her favourite Harry Potter book that Maggie had been reading to her before she’d passed away. 

 

Alex rejoined her sister at the couch, plopping down next to the blonde and resting her head against her shoulder. Kara wrapped her arm around Alex, rubbing a hand on her arm. “You ready for this?” She asked. 

 

Alex wiped the stray tears falling from her eyes. “As I’ll ever be. I love her so much Kara.”

 

Neither Kara nor Alex knew which _her_ she was talking about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come yell at me...


	7. Change is a good thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this takes place actually after chapter 5. i made a note in “present” when Alex mentions to Maggie that she rents a two bedroom that it was supposed to be three bedroom and this is the reason why. :) enjoy!

 

 

Alex didn’t really know how or when it started, how everything  _ changed _ , but she didn’t  _ hate _ it. 

 

Lucy stood at the kitchen island with Alex, flipping through a CatCo magazine as Alex munched on a slice of leftover pizza from earlier that night, both women nursing beers. She looked past Lucy, watching as Jamie rolled around in her sleep on Alex’s giant bed in the apartment, leaving a smile on Alex’s face.   
  
“I need to get a bigger place.” Alex huffed, letting the realization hit her that a studio-type apartment was not very child friendly. 

 

“I need to find a place in general.” Lucy groaned. “Your couch is comfy, but not that comfy. And I don’t like staying with Kara, she and Lena forget that even though I don’t have super-hearing, I still have hearing, and I don’t want to hear  _ that _ shit.” She shudders at the memory of the  _ one _ night she stayed at Kara’s place after Jamie was brought back from her foster family. She showed up at Alex’s place the very next morning with her bags again and said she was not staying there again.

 

“Why don’t we just find a three bedroom? Split the difference. We both need a place and this way we can get a nicer place, and in the school district for Jamie. What do you think? Plus I know I’ll be happy having my best friend back.” Alex beamed at the smaller brunette. 

 

“Eh, why the hell not?” Lucy agreed. Coming home to Alex and Jamie every night sure beat coming home to an empty apartment. “Should we like call a realtor tomorrow?” She questioned, finishing the rest of her beer. Alex nodded. 

 

So two months later found the three girls, along with Kara, Lena, James and Winn all carrying boxes into the new three bedroom apartment. And after it had been a long weekend of moving all f Alex’s furniture in, getting a new bedroom set for Jamie delivered and build, Lucy’s new bed delivered and all of their belongings cluttered in their respective rooms, the two women and Jamie were left alone in their new place. Alex was currently hanging up pictures along the wall in the hallway as Lucy was helping and Jamie was supervising, telling her where she thought each one should go.

 

“Mommy?” Jamie looked up at Alex who was standing on a kitchen chair. “Aunt Lucy?” She said, looking at the brunette. 

 

“Yeah Kid?”

 

“Yes, baby?” Both women answered her. 

 

“Can we put a picture of Mama up too?” She asks timidly. 

 

“I think that would be a great idea. I have a few still that we can put up around the house, if Aunt Luce is okay with that?” Alex eyes the brunette. 

 

“We should go find those pictures, Kiddo, while Mommy hangs up the rest of these.” Lucy said, scooping Jamie up and running down the hall into Alex’s room. 

 

“They’re in the box marked ‘Storage Unit’!” Alex shouts down the hall after them. She stares at her left hand, currently holding the nail against the wall, thinking about the ring that was packed in that box and how it used to sit right there on her left hand. She missed Maggie. 

 

Alex finished nailing the nails into the wall and hung the pictures she had left, before shuffling into her bedroom, finding Lucy and Jamie sitting on the floor of her bedroom, flipping through picture after picture and frame after frame from the very large storage unit box. 

 

“You have some great pics in here, Danvers.” Lucy laughed, holding up a picture of Alex and Maggie, both with cake smeared on their faces. 

 

“That was on my birthday. Maggie smushed cake on my face and then I got her back. I forgot Kara took a lot of these, and James had some really good ones taken for our engagement.” She said, grabbing another little stack of frames, looking at each one. 

 

Jamie reached in the cardboard box again, pulling out more items. “What’re these?” She asked, holding up two small, black velvet boxes. Lucy looked up at Alex with a sad smile as Alex reached for the jewelry boxes in her daughter’s hands. 

 

She laid one down on the bed and flipped the other open, staring down at the ring. “These were mine and Mama’s engagement rings, Jamie.” She told the five year old, taking the ring from its place and slipping it on her finger, where it belonged. She took a deep, shaky breath as she did so. 

 

“Can I wear Mama’s?” Jamie asked. 

 

“It’s too big for your finger, but I can get you a chain and you can wear it as a necklace, does that sound okay?” Alex asked, pulling herself from her memories and slipping the ring back off, placing it where it belonged in the box. She picked up both little boxes and placed them in the top drawer of her nightstand. 

 

“Yeah, thanks Mommy. Okay, I found the pictures I wanna hang up of Mama.” Jamie said, handing Alex a stack of frames and loose photos. Alex took them from her and started heading or the hallway with Jamie in tow. Lucy stared on at the remaining photos, shaking her head at the resemblance of Jamie and Maggie. Jamie was very clearly a spitting image of the late detective. She started packing up the remaining photos and other items her and Jamie had pulled out of the box, running her finger over a picture of Alex and Maggie kissing in what she assumed had been their engagement photos since James’ signature was in the bottom right corner. They looked like such a happy couple. 

 

It took almost another month before the new apartment was fully unpacked and a hundred percent liveable in. Jamie had been enrolled in the elementary school in the district and everyday after school, Alex, or Lucy, depending on if there was an emergency, and she worked at the desert base rather than the city one and wasn’t in the field most of the time, would pick up Jamie and they’d work on unpacking the place, little by little. Lucy really enjoyed the days where it was just Jamie and her at the apartment, she and the little girl would put on really loud music and sort through the boxes around the place, making sure things like plates and cups were at a level where Lucy could actually reach them. 

 

It became a routine. And then the nights when Alex would come home later from work exhausted, sit at the bar overlooking the kitchen and Lucy would slide her over a drink and a plate of leftover food. She’d tell her that Jamie finished her homework, ate dinner, had a bath and she read a bedtime story to the kid before she’d fallen asleep. 

 

Alex did remember the night everything changed. The anniversary of the day that Maggie had walked out of her apartment and her life. 

 

It was a rough day on Alex and she’d come home even later than usual from work, finding Lucy waiting up for her on the couch. Something Lucy always did, wait up for her, to make sure she did come home. But that night she hadn’t come straight from work. And Lucy knew as soon as Alex had stepped through the door. 

 

“Heyy Lane.” Alex drawled out. “It’s sooo late, how’re you’re even up?” She slurred a bit, popping the ‘p’. 

 

“And you, Alex, are very intoxicated. Please tell me you did not drive here.” Lucy scolded, standing up from the couch to walk Alex into the apartment. 

 

“Nooo,” Alex giggled, her eyes drooping shut as she stumbled in, with Lucy’s help, and sat on the couch. “Sam came to get me. I did–didn’t wan’ta call Kara.” She hiccuped. 

 

“Why were you even at the bar?” Lucy questioned. 

 

“Maggie left me to–today.” She hiccuped again with her answer and Lucy nodded slowly, reaching for Alex’s hand. 

 

“I’m sorry, Al.” 

 

And that’s when something changed. Even though Alex was highly intoxicated, she was somewhat aware of everything as she leaned forward, pressing her lips against Lucy’s, tangling her fingers of her left hand in Lucy’s hair and grabbing Lucy’s waist with her right. 

 

Lucy kissed her back, she could feel it just before the brunette pulled away. “Al-Alex what are you doing?” She said, bracing her hands on Alex’s shoulders. 

 

“‘M kissing you, dummy.” Alex said, furrowing her eyebrows. 

 

“You are drunk and emotional, you need to sleep this off.” Lucy said, a bit shocked as she stood up, pulling Alex with her and helping the redhead down the hall to her room. She laid Alex down on her bed, pulling the covers back and over the woman before turning out the light, Alex asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, before Lucy retreated to her own room and shutting off the light for some much needed sleep. 

 

The next morning was Saturday and Kara showed up very early, having promised to take Jamie to the zoo, which worked out perfectly for Alex since she currently was nursing a killer hangover. She wished Jamie a goodbye before she left and Lucy brought her a glass of water and a few advils, closing the blinds for her hungover best friend before getting ready to leave Alex in her room alone. 

 

“Luce, did something happen last night?” Alex asked. “You’re acting weird and I remember coming home drunk and you and me on the couch or something?” She said. 

 

Lucy let out a laugh before sitting down on the edge of Alex’s bed. “Oh Danvers,” She started. “You came home drunk off your ass and kissed me.” 

 

Alex’s eyes went wide. 

 

“I mean, I wasn’t complaining.” Lucy added. “But you were drunk and I don’t like to take advantage of people.” 

 

Alex sat up straighter in her bed before looking at Lucy. “So you wouldn’t complain if I wanted kissed you again?” She inquired, raising her brow. 

 

“I mean, I will complain if you’re just going to say that and not do anything about it.” Lucy dared her, glancing down at Alex’s lips 

 

Alex surges forward, pressing her lips against the brunette’s, Lucy kisses her back fervently, crawling into Alex’s lap. Alex runs her hands up Lucy’s sides, slipping one underneath her shirt as Lucy straddles her and pulls back from the kiss. “We really doing this, Al?” She asks and is answered by Alex sucking on the sweet spot on her neck. 

 

So the new addition to Alex’s love life was welcomed. And Alex took Lucy out on dates. Some days Kara would watch Jamie and other days Kara and Lena would double date with them and Ruby would come over to watch Jamie. 

 

Jamie. Alex hadn’t really talked it over with her daughter. She and Lucy never kissed in front of Jamie or told her anything about their relationship until about two months into the blossoming romance. When Jamie caught Alex sneaking out from Lucy’s bedroom in the middle of the night, talk about the most awkward walk of shame in Alex’s life. 

 

Jamie had gotten up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom as Alex was half asleep, stumbling down the hall trying to get from Lucy’s room to her own when the bathroom door swung open and Jamie stood in the light. Alex let out a yelp, clutching her hand over her chest as Lucy made it to her doorway, gun in hand. “What’s wrong?” She asked, already on high alert. 

 

“Nothing, Luce, Jamie just scared me. Go back to sleep.” She said and Lucy smiled. 

 

“Night Al, night Kiddo.” She said, turning and shutting her door. 

 

Alex stepped over to Jamie, lifting her up into her arms. “Hey munchkin.” She smiled as Jamie laid her head on Alex’s shoulder. 

 

“Are you and Aunt Lucu dating?” Jamie flat-out asked. 

 

Alex swallowed, debating on how to tell this or what she should tell, but biting the bullet she smiled. “We are. Is that okay with you?” She asked, rubbing Jamie’s back and walking into her room. 

 

“Is she still going to be Aunt Luce?” Jamie asked and Alex nodded. 

 

“She will always be your Aunt Lucy, no matter what happens, but I just kiss her and take her out on dates. Is it okay if we kiss in front of you, like Aunt Lena and Aunt Kara, or do you not want us to do that?” Alex asked again and Jamie rubbed her eyes. 

 

“S’okay.” She answered. “Just not any gross stuff. And I’ll still complain about kissing in front of me like I sometimes do to Aunt Lena and Aunt Kara, but s’okay.” She reassured her mom. 

 

“Okay. And I want you to know, that me dating Aunt Lucy doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about Mama. She will always be in my heart, okay? I’ll never stop loving her. I’ll love her until I die, just like I love you.” 

 

“I know, Mommy. And it’s okay to date Aunt Lucy or anyone. I know you’ll always love Mama more, and me more.” Alex agrees and can’t believe how lucky she got. Jamie was so smart and accepting. 

And she didn’t hide the relationship after that. Lucy was comfortable after a little while, to kiss in front of Jamie, or hold hands, and when they went out in public together, they’d hold hands and watch as Jamie ran ahead of them, full of joy. 

 

Their happiness last for a little over six months, until Lucy started noticing the distance Alex had been putting between them. 

 

Ultimately, she knew the time would come, but she’d tried to subconsciously prolong it, because she loved Alex. They’d already admitted that to each other, but the night Alex told her she loved her, Lucy knew Alex was saying it with a heavy heart. 

 

“Al, can we talk?” She said as they laid tangled together in Alex’s bed, wrapped in the sheet. Lucy’s arm was wrapped across Alex’s chest and Alex’s arm underneath Lucy’s back. 

 

“What’s up?” She asked. 

 

“You know I love you, right?” She said and Alex hummed in response. “I love you, and you’re my best friend. But honestly? I think that’s what we’re meant to be as. I once heard that people have more than one soulmate in life. Because there are many types of soulmates. I think we’re best friend soulmates. I think that’s just our story. You and I love each other, but no one’s ever going to compare to Maggie because she was your love soulmate or whatever.” Lucy explained. “And I know you had a rough patch after she left, and even now you have dark days, I’ll catch you reading letters or just pause during things and get that lost look in your eye because something reminded you of her. You’ve gotten better but you’re not fully healed. Who knows if you’ll ever be. But I think it’s for the best that you and I are just best friends.” She continued. “I love you and Jamie and I’ll always be there for her if you need me to be. And I’ll always be there for you too, because that’s what best friends are for. If you need a drinking buddy, or someone you can push up against the wall for a night to release some frustration, or if you need your ass kicked in the sparring room, I’ll be there. But I think you need to figure out how to be Jamie’s mom for a bit. Just you. You and her against the world, okay?” Lucy finished. 

 

Alex pressed a kiss to the brunette’s forehead, pulling her closer. “Love you, Luce. Thank you for being honest. It hurts, but I needed to hear that. It’s the truth, and I honestly think it’ll do me some good. You helped me realize who I am a little more. You brought me back to life a bit.” She smiled. 

 

“Yeah?” Lucy asked. 

 

“Yeah.” Alex agreed. 

 

“I think it’s also time that I put on my big girl pants. I’m gonna start looking for my own place tomorrow.” She stated. 

 

“We’re gonna miss you here.” 

 

“I’ll still be in town, and I’ll visit a lot.” She promised. 

 

“You better. Can I just hold you for the rest of the night?” Alex asked. 

 

She was answered by Lucy curling into her embrace further before the two best friends fell soundly asleep. 

  
Alex didn’t really know how or when it started, how everything  _ changed _ , but she didn’t  _ hate _ it. She didn’t hate it because it brought her and Lucy closer, and it helped her focus more on herself. It helped her be her, and  _ sometimes _ she didn’t hate it… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come yell at me...


	8. Telling Kara

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiiiiii! I’ll post where this one goes in the timeline “chapter” in questions, but for your info now, it takes place like a couple hours after TIB 2. :D
> 
> hope y’all enjoy, this one made me smile a sad smile, poor Alex so emotional. 
> 
> I’m hoping I’m getting my writing groove, going to see how many I can crank out of these :) wish me luck!
> 
> *again, didn’t proof this, all mistakes are mine, probably at least one typo in there… you’re welcome.

 

Alex pulled the vibrating phone from her pocket, checking the caller ID before silencing it and putting her phone back in her pocket. She would call Kara back later, it would be okay. For now, she needed to focus on this meeting. It’s nine fifty-two in the morning and Jamie and the social worker are due at any moment. 

 

Alex meets Jamie at ten-eleven in the morning and by one-fifteen she’d already exchanged “I love you’s” with the five year old. 

 

Lunch was delivered by two-thirty and then she decided to try and relax, letting Jamie lay down for a nap as well for some much needed rest. She tucked the little girl into her own bed, kissing her forehead and leaving her with a story before retreating to the living room and pulling out her phone. 

 

**Missed Call(s) (9)**

**3:36pm** **_Kara Danvers_ **

**2:48pm** **_Kara Danvers_ **

**2:03pm** **_Kara Danvers_ **

**1:19pm** **_Kara Danvers_ **

**12:22pm** **_Kara Danvers_ **

**11:59am** **_Kara Danvers_ **

**11:17am** **_Kara Danvers_ **

**10:31am** **_Kara Danvers_ **

**9:52am** **_Kara Danvers_ **

 

Nineteen unread texts all from Kara… and one from Winn telling her to please call her sister because apparently the blonde was making him panic and try and find her through her subdermal tracker. 

 

She unlocked her phone, reading through all the texts and one new one popped up as she opened her sister’s icon. 

 

**Kara Danvers (3:54pm)–** _YOU READ MY TEXT. UR ALIVE. PLS CALL ME NOW!_

 

Alex quickly hit the call icon and put the phone to her ear, waiting for the dial tone to sound, it only beeped once before Kara’s voice filled the speaker. 

 

“I’m literally going to kill you. You think just disappearing off the face of the earth for two days is smart, Alex? What the heck! I thought something happened to you. Where are you? Are you safe? Do you need me to come get you? What is going on?!” Kara rambled on, demandingly. 

 

“I’m–I’m fine.” Alex manages to choke out, holding back tears. The emotions of the last two days were finally catching up to her. 

 

The tone of Alex’s voice immediately makes Kara worried. “You threw up in a garbage can before bolting out of work. You’re not  _ fine _ , Alex, what’s wrong?”

 

She takes a deep, shaky breath before speaking. “I–I got a kid.” She said weakly. 

 

“Alex!” Kara squealed, so loudly that Alex had to pull the phone away from her ear. “This is so amazing! I guess you had to go pick them up, right? That’s why you left? Why didn’t you just tell me that? You made me worry for no reason!” She cheered and scolded, not paying attention to the heavy breathing and fighting back of sniffles on Alex’s end of the line. 

 

“Y–Yeah, yeah it’s great.” Alex says quietly. 

 

“So…” Kara says, “Tell me about my new niece or nephew…” She says excitedly and Alex can tell she’s probably dancing on the other end. 

 

“Her name is Jamie.” Alex starts. It’s probably the easiest thing to start with. “She is five.” Alex manages to talk slowly, holding back the tears. 

 

“Oh! She’s older than I expected. I thought you were getting a baby, wait––” Kara says, interrupting her own thoughts. “Didn’t your file get denied? How are you able to get a kid now? Did you pull strings?” She questioned. 

 

_ Damn Kara’s investigative reporter side _ … Alex thought. “I–yeah, it was denied…” She trails off, not wanting to lie to her sister. 

 

There was silence on the other end of the phone and Alex knew that was her sister’s way of encouraging her to continue explaining, but Alex just needed a moment to get her emotions in check before the explanation. 

 

“I was uh– I’m mentioned in Jamie’s parent’s will.” She starts out. 

 

“Did one of your cousins pass away?” Kara inquires. 

 

“No. Just– I need a moment to explain everything, please just give me a second, Kara.” She says almost on the border of harsh and Kara understands, softly whispering an apology. “Jamie’s father isn’t in the picture, nor will he ever be. She was raised by her mom. But I got that call a couple days ago saying her mom was killed last week and that I was named in her will. So I showed up and yesterday morning they told me that I was named custodial guardian of Jamie and that I had a week to decide if I wanted to take her in. I met her this morning and god, Kara she looks so much like her.” Alex says, finishing the explanation with a sob. 

 

“Looks like who?” Kara asks, though she was already forming a guess. There was only one person that would wreck Alex like this. 

 

“Her mother. Jamie looks so much like her mom.” Alex alluded the question for another moment, not being able to even say her name. 

 

“Who’s her mom, Alex?” Kara tried coaxing out of her. 

 

Alex sobbed on the other end of the line, tears streaming down her cheeks. “She’s Maggie’s little girl.”

 

“Alex…” Kara breathes out. “I’m sorry.” There’s really nothing else she knows to say. 

 

“It just–  _ everything _ hurts.” She continues to cry as quietly as she can, with Jamie sleeping in the other room. “How did it all come to this?” She asks no one in particular. 

 

“I don’t know the answer to that, Alex, and I’m sorry. Can I ask, though? Are you going to take her in?” Kara asks nervously, trying to tread carefully. 

 

“Ye–yeah of course.” Alex says, sobering up her tears. “Yes.” She repeats. “She needs me, and I think I need her. She’s lost so much already and she’s only  _ five years old _ , Kara. And no matter how angry I am at Maggie for this, right now, I still love her and Jamie’s the only piece I have left of her.”

 

“Well then, I can’t wait to meet my niece.” Kara says happily. 

 

“You’re going to love her, Kara.” Alex says, smiling through her tears. “She told me she loved me today.” 

 

“She did, huh? Tell me more about her.” Kara begged. 

 

And so, Alex did. For the next hour and a half, she told Kara all she knew about Jamie. What she liked and disliked, what she looked like and how she acted. And how much Alex loved her. 

 

She hung up after sending Kara love, and promising to be back next week, before standing up off the couch with a stretch and padding quietly into Jamie’s room. She peeked into the room, seeing Jamie sitting against her headboard, smiling up at her with a book in her lap. 

 

“Hey, good, you’re awake. I didn’t want you to sleep too late or you’ll never go to sleep.” Alex said, walking over to the bed and lifting Jamie up into her arms. 

 

“I didn’t sleep for very long. Who called you?” Jamie asked and Alex kissed her forehead. 

 

“My sister, Kara.” Alex said and Jamie’s eyes lit up. 

 

“Mama showed me pictures of her! She has pretty hair.” Jamie smiled, her dimples popping out, just like Maggie’s. 

 

“You’re going to love her, and she already loves you. Now, let’s go grocery shopping because we need real food and not take out for the next week, alright?” Alex said and Jamie nodded as she was set back down on the floor. She took off, running towards the door to grab her shoes. 

 

“C’mon, Alex.” She said and Alex just laughed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come yell at me...

**Author's Note:**

> this is why I shouldn’t be allowed access to writing materials…things spiral out of control...


End file.
